You can burn the copper cable with diesel fuel. How to quickly and correctly strip a wire of insulation. How not to perform crimping

One of the main sources is cable scrap. Copper cable – a cable with conductive cores made of electrical copper.

This metal is different minimal impurity content, which increases its electrical and thermal conductivity, making it soft and malleable.

Copper cables that have failed or have reached the end of their service life are readily purchased, but wire prices can vary greatly depending on the percentage of copper in the raw materials being sold.

The cable base is conductor from . Typically, a product has several cores isolated from each other, which are enclosed in a common shell.

Depending on the conditions of operation, the coating can be reinforced with a protective screen or armor.

The following types of cables are distinguished:

power;
household;
control;
special.

Power copper cables are designed to distribute electricity supplied by a power plant to:

substations,
municipal and transport facilities,
manufacturing enterprises, etc.

Inside such products there are up to five conductive cores.

By insulation material they are divided into several types:

Household have from one to several cores. They are used to connect devices to portable power generators, as well as welding installations to the electrical network.

Tests cables are used to connect electrical appliances, switchgears and various mechanisms in tunnels and channels without the risk of damage. Installation of this type of wires is possible both outdoors and indoors.

Special cables are used to transmit high-frequency and low-frequency signals.

Areas of use

Cables with copper conductors are widely used in various sectors of human economic activity:

V power lines, serving for the transmission and distribution of electricity in stationary installations;
installation of wiring inside residential premises and offices;
on manufacturing enterprises where there is a high probability of fires and explosions.

Single-core Copper cable finds its use in conditions where, after installation, its immobility is ensured (electric motors, indoor electrical wiring).

In the same time stranded The wire is used to power equipment with a large range of motion.

Such equipment includes, for example, gantry cranes.

Admission conditions and restrictions

Scrap copper cable is a valuable type of secondary raw material and is accepted in almost any form. The cost at which you can hand over copper wire to a collection point depends on a number of factors:

Raw material quality. The higher the copper content in the cable, the higher its cost.
Core section thickness.
Purity. The cable should be free of visible traces of grease, enamel, varnish, welding and oxides.
Shell integrity and the difficulty of further processing of scrap.
Batch size. The larger the batch, the higher the price per 1 kg of cable.

Hand over scrap metal to small private collection points Not recommended. As a rule, they do not have documents confirming the right to conduct such activities and are simple resellers who announce the minimum price for metal.

A higher price for scrap metal is offered by processing plants and metal depots that have all the necessary technological and material capabilities for its transportation, evaluation and further processing.

Prices for accepting scrap copper cable

The cost of copper cable varies depending on the percentage of copper in the raw materials supplied, as well as the quality and volume of the metal.

The exact price of scrap can be found out after analyzing the sample using special equipment -.

In the price lists of enterprises that accept scrap, as a rule, the price per pure metal, exempt from:

isolation;
lubricants;
paints, etc.

To determine the value of scrap at the point of delivery, prototype cutting, which is cleared of braid and weighed. In this way, the amount of metal in the received batch is determined, without taking into account the mass of the insulation.

Average prices for different types of copper cable scrap are presented in the table:

Type of scrap	Description	Price/price range (RUB per kg)
Copper cable	With copper yield from 70%	260 — 300
Copper cable	In isolation	220 — 280
Copper "oil"	scrap cable, mechanically stripped of its braid. Does not have oxides, darkening, in oil. The presence of varnish, terminals, residues of insulating material, paint, dirt, paper, etc. is unacceptable.	200-298
Copper "mix"	Current conductors, telephone copper wire, wire, cable, parts of units, flexible busbars “pigtails”. Coating with varnish, paint, as well as the presence of oxides is allowed.	230 — 285
Burnt copper	Scrap of a copper core with a cross-section of any shape that has undergone heat treatment. The raw materials should not contain traces of oxidation, tips, oil, or particles of insulating material.	280 — 300
Copper "shine"	Stripped copper wires and cables. Each core is shiny, free of oxides, darkening, films, traces of oil and varnish, as well as insulation residues. The price depends on the cross-sectional diameter of the core.	240 — 318

How to increase the value of scrap

In order not to make a mistake and sell scrap copper wire at the best price, you need analyze the cost of raw materials on the market and determine the circle of potential buyers.

Compare admission prices for scrap copper cable at various points. Order a preliminary assessment of the material from companies offering the most favorable conditions, and choose the most suitable option for yourself.
Check the Buyer's Reputation; check if he has .
Accumulate more raw materials for delivery. A large batch of scrap copper cable allows you to sell it at a better price.
Objectively evaluate the reception conditions. Free dismantling of scrap and its delivery to the enterprise is often compensated by the reduced cost of receiving the metal, so it is necessary to evaluate the range of services as a whole.
Clean the cable. Wire stripped of braiding is accepted at much higher prices at collection points. If the insulation can be removed by hand, then roasting should not be used, as annealed copper is considered a lower quality material.

Self-cleaning of insulation

If you don't have time, you can hand over the copper cable uncleaned. In this case, the reward will be less.

The process of cleaning copper wire from the braid is unsafe and technologically complex. This requires appropriate equipment and special knowledge.

Plus self-cleaning of wires from insulation - the opportunity to hand over scrap higher price.

Minuses self-cleaning:

Large time and labor costs.
Special knowledge and equipment required.
The efforts expended do not always pay off, since cleaning large volumes is much easier, faster and more profitable to carry out at specialized enterprises.

Cable stripping equipment can be purchased, for example, from a Chinese supplier on aliexpress:

The main methods for cleaning copper cable are:

Heat treatment. This method is not used often, as it contradicts environmental standards. In addition, it has certain limitations: burning thin-stranded cable scrap is not recommended, since the metal can burn out along with the insulation.
Mechanical. Removing insulation manually (stripping). A long and labor-intensive process. Its implementation is not always justified in terms of time and labor costs. To speed up the process, you can use a manual mechanical stripper.
Modern cleaning methods using special technological equipment. For example, a powerful and productive automatic stripper. This method is the most effective and safe from an environmental point of view. And the removed insulation can also be sent for recycling.

To learn how to clean copper cable at home using improvised means, watch this video:

Summary

Due to its high thermal and electrical conductivity, copper is widely used in many industries.

Recycling copper scrap into waste cable is one of the main sources of this metal today.

Reception of copper cable is carried out at competitive prices, but they may vary depending on:

percentage of copper in raw materials;
wire quality and cross-section;
batch size.

Thus, the final cost calculation is made in each case individually.

In contact with

When carrying out work on electrifying a room, installing electrical wiring, or simply in everyday life, it often becomes necessary to strip wires of insulation. This basically simple process can cause some difficulties for non-professional electricians. It is important to add that this work has a number of features and can be done in several different ways. Exactly how to strip the wire will be discussed below.

Using a knife

One of the most common tools used for stripping wires is a knife. Moreover, it doesn’t really matter whether you use a so-called special installer’s knife or an ordinary pocket knife. It is important to understand what a specific wire is. To do this, it is useful to look at the end of the cut. There you will see how many layers of insulation, cores and rows of braid are present in the wire. For convenience and simplicity, stripping a simple single-core wire will be considered.

The edge of the wire to be stripped must be laid on a flat surface, for example, a tabletop or workbench. The knife blade must be placed vertically in relation to the wire. Then, with one hand you need to lightly press the knife, and with the other, slowly turn the wire. As a result, the insulation will be cut and can be easily removed using the same pliers or pliers. If it doesn’t work the first time and the insulation is not removed, then the procedure must be repeated. It is important to remember that all actions must be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to damage the wire itself along with the insulation.

How to strip a wire with side cutters

Another tool suitable for removing insulation from wires is side cutters. With their help, work can be done quickly and conveniently. The desired end of the wire must be clamped in the tool, then, turning it a little, pull it, thereby removing the insulation layer. If the wire is of sufficient length, then for ease of work, it can be wrapped around your hand. If the wire is short, then you can use pliers. As in the previous case, you need to be careful. It is necessary to carefully control the pressure on the handles of the side cutters so as not to damage or completely cut the wire. But at the same time, if the force is insufficient and the insulation is not cut enough, then it will not be possible to remove it and it will stretch, which is very undesirable. This method of work is quite simple to master and apply in most cases, and therefore it can be safely recommended.

How to use a soldering iron

Speaking about how and with what to remove insulation from a wire, we cannot ignore the use of a soldering iron. This seemingly unsuitable tool does the job quite well. With its help, both thin wires and fairly thick wires, as well as entire loops, can be stripped. In order to clean the wire from insulation, it must be laid on a flat horizontal surface. After that, a soldering iron heated to operating temperature is applied vertically to it. Then, with your hand free from holding the tool, the wire must be slowly turned. Thus, the insulation is burned in a circle, after which it can be easily removed using tweezers, pliers or pliers. It would not be superfluous to add that the use of this method practically does not threaten to damage the wire, it allows you to work with wires of a wide variety of diameters, as well as strip wire loops. However, there is also some drawback - you need to work in a ventilated area, since when the insulation melts, not only an unpleasant odor will be released, but also harmful substances. Well, of course, electricity is required to operate.

Special tool

Professional workers at electronics repair service centers use a special tool, which they call a “burner,” to remove insulation from wires. On one side, it is equipped with two terminals with an incandescent filament attached to them, and on the other, an electrical wire comes out to power the device. During operation, this thread is heated to a very high temperature, which makes it easy to burn through insulation of any thickness and material of manufacture. This is especially important when stripping PTFE-coated wires. As in the previous case, during operation smoke, unpleasant odors and harmful substances are released, so the room must be ventilated or equipped with a ventilation hood. And also, among other things, the tool requires a power source to operate.

Another example of a special tool used to strip wires of insulation is the so-called stripper. There are several varieties of this tool, differing from each other mainly in the number of additional functions.

The wire to be stripped is inserted into a special hole in the tool, its handles are clamped by hand, and the insulation is evenly cut. After this, the wire is simply pulled out, thereby freeing itself from the insulation. You can also use this tool to cut food and strip insulation from stranded wires. The tool is extremely easy to use and also affordable. When using it, the possibility of damage to wires is minimized, and the overall work time is significantly reduced.

Teeth

Well, it should be added that the description of methods for stripping wires of insulation would be incomplete without mentioning the simplest method. The wire is clamped between the teeth and pulled out. The insulation is damaged and removed. The method is quite dubious, as it can damage tooth enamel, but it is used much more often than you might think. In most cases, thin wires can be stripped this way.

In conclusion, we can add that it is impossible to clearly name one way to strip wires correctly, the main thing is that the insulation is removed and the wire remains undamaged. Each of the above methods is suitable in certain cases and can be used.

Please remember to follow safety regulations. In the event that it is not possible to turn off the electricity, you need to work with insulated tools and rubber gloves.

Video

This video shows examples of how to strip a wire:

Used colored cable scrap is a popular and expensive recyclable material. You can extract it yourself from old power, fiber optic, telephone, installation, and other wiring. What tools and equipment will be needed to remove the winding? How to quickly clean a cable for scrapping, spending a minimum of time and effort?

Popular methods for stripping insulation

When handing over a cable, the metal core of the conductors is of value. Before going to the receiving point, you need to strip the cable from the insulating winding. There are several ways to do this yourself:

manual stripping with a knife or hammer is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, suitable if the batch of scrap is small;
roasting and melting - a fast process, but harmful to the environment, not recommended for thin-stranded scrap, the metal burns out along with the winding;
the use of special equipment is the fastest and safest method; tools are used during the work.

Cleaning with a knife or hammer

A construction or stationery knife or pullers with hooks, adjusting screws, etc. are suitable for stripping wires. When working, carefully cut the winding along the core, then take it to the side and cut it.

When working with a hammer, they hit the cable with force until the insulation separates from the metal.

Firing and reflow

You can burn raw materials over a fire, but the method is justified for large volumes of raw materials. Perform work outdoors, observing safety precautions.

Melting a cable with a soldering iron is one of the ways to remove insulation from thin and thick wires and cables. Before work, the wire is laid on a flat horizontal surface. Then heat up the soldering iron and apply it vertically to the winding. As the insulation melts, the cable is rotated around its axis. After firing, the plastic can be easily removed with pliers, tweezers, or pliers.

Important! Work in a well-ventilated area. When the insulation melts, toxins are released and there is a strong plastic smell.

Using a side cutter and stipper

How to quickly clean the cable for scrap delivery and mechanize the process? Special tools will help:

side cutter;
stripper.

Side cutters are called wire cutters or tweezers for cutting wires. When using it, the free end of the wire is clamped between the blades, then carefully turned and pulled. The insulation is easily removed.

Note! The cutting edges are directed in the direction of movement of the tool so that the blades cut into the winding without much effort. If you handle the side cutter incorrectly, the cable will break off along with the insulation.

A stripper will help automate the cable cleaning process. There are different subtypes of the instrument. Models differ in the number of additional functions.

Stipper and working with it

The operating principle of all strippers is the same:

the end of the cable is inserted into the hole of the tool;
they clamp the handles of the stripper with their hands to cut through the windings;
then the conductor is pulled outward, freeing it from insulation.

Important! The good thing about this tool is that it is simple and easy to use and is inexpensive. It rarely damages the cable, reduces winding removal time, and is suitable for working with single-core stranded conductors.

Special equipment

If there is a lot of scrap, special equipment for removing insulation will help simplify the preparation of raw materials. It can be rented directly from a centralized collection point.

Recycling collection points

Scrap acceptors purchase the following waste cable and wire products:

a) manufacturing defects, warehouse surplus;

b) used cable lines, production remains;

c) old uncleaned cable;

d) dismantled communications;

e) installation waste.

Acceptance is carried out according to several criteria, which determine the price per kg of scrap. The length of the conductor pieces, the percentage of scrap to insulation, and foreign impurities are taken into account.

By the way! To determine the weight of the metal without winding, the acceptance specialist cuts off a prototype conductor, strips it and weighs it.

Average price per kg of copper scrap for 2018-2019

	Description of scrap	Average price, rub./kg
Cable in winding	Covered with insulation
Copper cable	With a copper yield of 70% or more

How to strip insulation from a wire? This question has worried every person at least once. But before you begin to study the methods for carrying out this procedure, you need to understand the purpose of this layer for the cable.

Stripping may be necessary in cases where it is necessary to install an outlet or switch. And there can be a huge number of such examples.

Purpose of insulation in wires

This layer helps prevent short circuits that can occur between conductors.

Insulation is divided into:

single plastic
multilayer

For the latter option, fabrics, non-flammable dielectrics or resins are used.

Traditional household wire is a cable of small sections. Removing the insulation quickly from a standard cord, as a rule, does not cause any particular problems. The easiest way is to use a tool such as pliers. To do this, they grab one cable core and carefully, so as not to get hurt, draw a knife around it.

As a result of using tools with rotational movements, part of the insulation is eliminated - the cable is exposed. This option is perfect if, when installing switches and sockets, it suddenly turns out that the wires are too short. In this case, removing the insulation using available tools will be as easy as shelling pears.

Some tips to quickly remove insulation from a cable

Quite often situations arise when even a true professional is confused. For example, a visual inspection showed that the charger had damaged wires going to the plug.

The main problem is:

thin cable section
its versatility
pouring wires into a continuous braid

In this case, the insulation is not just a protective layer, but a channel consisting of two or three chambers.

On the one hand, the repair method is obvious. On the other hand, the question of how to quickly remove the insulation from a cable is not clear.

Experienced specialists advise using a razor cassette as a special tool. Only one element will be needed - a thin blade. In this case, you need to secure the cable well in a vice. If they are missing, a clamp from a table lamp will do.

To remove the insulation quickly, you need to divide the cable into cores. This must be done extremely carefully so as not to damage the structure of the cores. There is no need to rush in this matter. Otherwise, you may make a cut that is too deep. At the end of this stage of work, you need to pick up part of the insulating layer with your fingernail and slowly remove it from the core. Careful handling of the wire will prevent it from being torn or damaged. When removing insulation, it is very important not to cut the remaining wires.

The second situation when it is necessary to remove the protective layer from the cable is loaded sections of electrical networks.

The most striking examples are:

inner filler insulation layer
rigid and dense outer insulation
fabric insulation impregnated with a resin composition
individual insulation of all cores

To remove the protection, you need to remove the outer shell using a tool. For this purpose, a shallow cut is made along the cable. Using pliers will allow you to remove the wires. This must be done one piece at a time, otherwise you will have to remove the inner fabric or fill. The remaining part of the outer insulating layer simply needs to be cut off.

Tools used for wire stripping

To strip the insulation from the cable, some people are content with a regular kitchen knife.

But it is best to use the following tools:

cutter equipped with sharp new blades
any type of pliers
scissors used for cutting thick wires and metal
a clamp or a small vice

To create a reliable and safe connection of wires, it is better to use special terminal blocks.

If it is necessary to remove the protective layer from a cable consisting of thin wires, these tools can damage them. Therefore, if possible, it is better to do without removing the insulation.

Without removing the protective layer, separate the wires and create contact using a crocodile with teeth. In this case, the reliability of the connection is ensured not so much by removing the insulation as by puncturing it. In most cases this is quite enough.

Working with electric current should not be considered too simple. Even if you know exactly what tools need to be used to remove the protective layer from the wires, you need to remember that damage to the wire will eventually lead to its breakdown and, as a result, failure.

If you have removed a little more insulation than required, cut off the excess using a suitable tool. Leaving exposed wires is too dangerous.

There is no need to purchase special tools to remove the protective layer from wires. As a rule, they are useless. And in most cases people use simple means at hand.

When working with tools, you must be careful and do all operations slowly. It is better to push the insulation slowly when removing it from the cable. This will prevent damage to the core.

During the work process you should be extremely careful. As practice shows, electrical problems often begin exactly where the protective layer was removed, because it is difficult to notice microscopic damage to the conductors the first time. It’s better to spend a little more time right away, but do everything carefully, rather than later correcting your own mistakes at a large financial cost.

The best option is to call an electrician on the website youdo.com. The order is placed easily and quickly, the contractor will promptly arrive at the specified address and remove the insulating layer professionally and inexpensively.